Get started as a manager in 7shifts
As a manager in 7shifts, your account has already been set up by your Admin. This guide is designed to help you get comfortable with the tools you’ll use most often in your day-to-day work.
Use this article as a starting point for your first two weeks in 7shifts. It walks through the key tasks to complete, the recommended order to follow, and how each step helps you manage your team more confidently.
What you can do in 7shifts as a manager
7shifts uses a permission hierarchy to define what each user can see and do. As a manager, your access covers daily operations within the locations and departments your Admin has assigned to you.
Here’s a quick summary of the key differences between user levels and what you can expect (please note, that each restaurant may manage operations differently):
- Admins (and the Account Owner) are responsible for configuring, enabling, and overseeing features at an account-wide level, including access control, integrations, and compliance. They have set up the account and granted you access to specific areas. They are also the point of contact for any major account changes or issues that require advanced support.
- As a Manager/Assistant Manager, your role typically focuses more on using the tools configured by the Admin to manage daily operations, working closely with staff, and ensuring the use of tasks and policies set by Admins. You'll have access to these tools, but certain company settings, such as integrations and payroll, remain under Admin control. To see what permissions and feature access are available to you, check out: How to View Your User Type and Permissions in 7shifts.
- You oversee the Assistant Managers and Employees who share your assigned locations and departments, as configured by the Admin.
- Managers cannot access company-wide Settings, billing, integrations, or payroll configuration. Those areas are reserved for Admins and the Account Owner.
- If you need access to an area that isn't available to you, contact your Admin. They control your permission settings.
Note: Each restaurant configures 7shifts differently. If a feature mentioned in this series isn't visible in your account, your Admin may not have enabled it or may not have granted you access. Reach out to your Admin directly.
Your two-week journey
The articles in this series are ordered by dependency. Each phase builds on the previous one. Complete them in sequence the first time through.
Phase 1 - Get in and get oriented (Day 1)
- Get started as a manager in 7shifts (you are here!)
Phase 2 - Run your first schedule (Days 2-4)
- Build and publish a schedule
- Manage availability and time-off requests
- Add a new employee and send their invite
Phase 3 - Manage time and attendance (Days 5-7)
- Approve punches and manage the time clocking view
- Monitor your shift in real time with Who's Working
Phase 4 - Run your operation (Days 8-14)
- Control labor costs with the Labor Budget Tool
- Maintain shift continuity with the Manager Log Book
- Keep going: explore add-ons and get support
What You'll Need
To make setup as smooth as possible, here are the things you'll want to have available:
- You'll need a valid email address and phone number that you have access to. We'll use this address to communicate with you and verify your identity.
- Your initial 7shifts setup is best completed on a web browser. Although we have both the web and mobile app available for you to use, we recommend using the web for the account setup process.
Log in for the first time
You cannot create a 7shifts account manually. Your Admin must send you an invitation to the email address on your employee profile before you can log in.
- If you haven't received an invitation, ask your Admin to check that your email address is correct in your profile and to resend the invite.
- Invitation links expire after 5 days. If your link has expired, ask your Admin to resend it.
- Open the invitation email from 7shifts and click Accept Invitation.
- Set a password that meets the on-screen requirements.
- Save your backup codes when prompted. Store them somewhere secure. These are required to recover your account if you lose access to your login method.
- Complete any multi-factor authentication setup if your Admin has required it.
- Click Log In to access your account for the first time.
Tip: Download the 7shifts mobile app now so you have schedule access on the floor. The mobile app lets you view and edit schedules, message your team, and monitor who's working, all from your phone.
iOS
Android
Confirm your location and department access
Once you're logged in, verify that your access matches what your Admin intended before you start scheduling.
- In the left navigation bar, click Schedule.
- Use the location and department filters at the top of the Schedule page to check which locations and departments are visible to you:
- In the left navigation bar, click Team and confirm you can see the employees assigned to your locations and departments.
- If a location or department you're responsible for is missing, contact your Admin. Your assignment may need to be updated in your employee profile.
Review your permissions
If a feature or area of 7shifts isn't visible to you, your permissions tab shows exactly what your user type can and can't access. Check here before contacting your Admin so you can describe the specific gap.
- In the left navigation bar, go to Settings, then select My Account. Alternatively, hover over your profile icon and select My Account from the dropdown.
- Click the Permissions tab.
- Review the read-only list of your user type and the actions you have access to.
- If your current permissions don't match what you need for your role, contact your Admin and ask them to adjust your access.
Note: Permissions can only be viewed and managed from the web app. Managers can grant Assistant Managers the same permissions they hold, but cannot grant permissions they don't have themselves.
Troubleshooting
You didn't receive an invitation email
The invitation may have been sent to a different email address, or it may have landed in your spam folder. Ask your Admin to confirm the email address on your profile and resend the invite. Check your spam or junk folder before requesting a resend.
You can log in but can't see any departments or employees
Your manager profile has not been assigned to a location or department yet. Your Admin needs to update your employee profile to assign you to the correct locations and departments before your access will populate.
What's next
Your account is active, your access is confirmed, and you have a map of the two weeks ahead.
Your next step is Build and publish a schedule. Create your first week of shifts and get them in front of your team.